TRAIN travel in Wales could be about to improve, an optimistic rail passengers' watchdog has revealed.

TRAIN travel in Wales could be about to improve, an optimistic rail passengers' watchdog has revealed.

The Rail Passenger Committee Wales has welcomed improvements which, they say, could put beleaguered public transport users on track for better journey times and less overcrowding.

Clive Williams, secretary of the RPCW, said, "We are pleased senior rail industry chiefs have listened to the concerns of the travelling public in Wales.

"Many of these new initiatives have been advocated by us for a number of years and we hope all augurs well for the future."

The committee was responding to a decision by the Strategic Rail Authority to approve a range of measures due to be implemented by December 2004.

One of the main improvements will be First Great Western's replacement of five-car trains with eight-car trains on some Thames Express services, which will cut overcrowding for long-distance passengers from Wales.

And the group believes timetable changes from Paddington could improve connections and punctuality for trains to and from Swansea and Newport.

First Great Western is also bidding for a later evening train from Paddington to Cardiff.

Meanwhile there are plans to increase line speed on the North Wales coast mainline, by linking up gaps in the 90mph sections.

An RPCW spokesman said, "From September 2004, Virgin Trains will introduce five services to North Wales from London Euston, with Llandudno, an important tourist destination, being added to the Virgin Trains map."